The Thai noodle dish commonly stir-fried with tamarind sauce, peanuts, and lime is Pad Thai. Its Thai name refers to stir-frying, the central technique used to make it.
Pad Thai is built from thin rice noodles cooked in a wok with a sweet-sour-savory sauce. Tamarind provides much of the characteristic tang, while fish sauce, sugar, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots, and sometimes chili add saltiness, sweetness, and depth. Eggs, firm tofu, shrimp, chicken, or other proteins may be included.
Crushed roasted peanuts and lime wedges are commonly served alongside or over the noodles, often with bean sprouts, green onions, garlic chives, or other fresh vegetables. These garnishes let diners adjust the balance of acidity, heat, and crunch.
Pad Thai is strongly associated with Thai street food, but it is not the same as Pad See Ew or drunken noodles. Those dishes use different sauces and flavor profiles; Pad See Ew is typically darker and soy-forward, while drunken noodles are usually hotter and more herbaceous.